Letter: Kennewick Irrigation District water not distributed equally

Water available to the Kennewick Irrigation District is seemingly not being distributed equally to all lands within the district.

Visit Badger Canyon and you will see thousands of acres of healthy perennial and annual crops (alfalfa, corn, pasture, squash?) being irrigated and green lawns. Contrast this with the brown lawns within the urban areas of KID and news reports from other drought-affected areas.

State law requires available water to be shared equitably by all lands within the district (RCW 87.03.115).

KID’s drought plan, Section 1.8, states “The order of prioritization, by which types of water users get more or less of their allotment than the projected pro-ration percentage shall be: Perennial crops, annual crops, public spaces, golf courses, residential landscape trees, shrubs, and gardens, residential lawns.”

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At the June 16 and July 7 KID board meetings, I requested that Section 1.8 of the drought plan be revoked. Section 1.8 remains in place.

Landowners have a vested property interest in the water right, yet it appears urban water (low priority types) is being taken and given to rural users (high priority types). Should legal action be necessary to compel KID to follow the law?